Tag Archives: living longer

Comments Off on Live Longer with Love in Your Life
Posted by docakilah on September 9, 2011

By Dr. Maoshing Ni

Love is the most powerful emotion you will ever experience, and studies show that while you are feeling it, endorphins and immune cells are produced in great number, boosting your health and longevity. For Valentine’s Day, share love and health with the special people in your life and lengthen your years.

1. Love = a Healthy Heart

Many studies have shown that relationships play a role in heart health. A study from the University of Texas Research, conducted with rabbits, found that love can reduce plaque buildup in your arteries, helping reduce overall risk of heart attack. In this study, rabbits were fed an artery-blocking diet, and some of the rabbits received love and affection while the others received none. The surprising results revealed that the rabbits given tender loving care had 60% less plaque buildup than their counterparts.

2. Get an Immune Boost with Love

Love in your life might just save you from the flu. One study showed that a five-minute episode of feeling genuine care or compassion enhanced the whole immune system, causing a gradual climb in secretory immunoglobulin A (IgA), your body’s natural antibody against colds, flu, and other invading germs. Even watching movies about love or altruism, petting a fluffy animal pal, and practicing selfless service for others has been shown to increase levels of IgA.

3. Keep in Touch with Your Loved Ones

Human touch, long recognized as a powerful healing technique, increases your body’s production of endorphins, growth hormone, and DHEA, all of which lengthen your life span and lower the negative impact of stress. In fact, studies have found that unconscious patients who are regularly touched recover faster than those who are not touched. Researchers have also observed that orphaned babies stop growing and even die from the lack of touch and love. So hug, cuddle, and massage your loved ones to live longer.

4. Connect with Friends to Increase Your Lifespan

Humans have depended on one another for survival since time immemorial, and indeed, many studies have found that even today, people rich in social and community support are more likely to live longer than those with weak social connections. Even people with unhealthy lifestyles tend to live longer than people lacking in social and community support. According to a study recently put out by Brigham Young University, spending time with friends has an extremely positive effect on health and can cut your risk of an early death in half. Julianne Holt-Lunstad, the research team’s head said that lacking in social relationships “was equivalent to smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day.” If you find yourself spending most of your time alone, reach out.

Offer to babysit for family members or join groups of people who share similar interests and gather together in person. Feel your presence in the world and make it felt by others.

5. Prescription for Longevity: A Happy Marriage

Research has confirmed that happily married couples live, on average, four years longer than single people. According to one study, nearly 100 percent of male centenarians are married or have only recently been widowed. Psychologists attribute the increased life span to the sense of interconnectedness with another human being. Studies have indicated that a happy marriage improves your mood, positively affects your dietary decisions, and leads to a larger social network of friends — three major factors of longevity. People in a marriage also tend to take better care of each other; and feeling that someone would care for you in times of illness appears to increase the sense of security about the future, cutting back on stress.

Studies suggest that the longer a marriage lasts, the greater the rewards. These days, there are many forms of spouse-like relationships that may benefit in similar ways. But not all relationships positively affect our health. Other research has found that marriage problems may increase risk for heart disease by 34% and tend to result in a lower survival rate in women with breast cancer.

Bonus tip: If you have recently ended a relationship, you can strengthen your spirit with affirmations and invocations.

6. Healthy Loving Lengthens Your Life Span

Healthy sex, nature’s fountain of youth, raises your levels of endorphins, DHEA, and growth hormone, which increase longevity. At the same time, sex lowers levels of the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol, which decrease your life span. A Duke University study showed that women who were happy with their sex lives could live up to eight years longer compared with women who were indifferent to their sex lives. While healthy loving adds years to your life, it also takes years off your face, making you actually look younger. Studies show that people who are highly satisfied with their sex life looked 4 to 7 years younger than their peers. This results from reduced stress, greater happiness, and better sleep. So before you invest in a costly makeover, try improving your sex life.

If love equals health, how to manifest love? Begin by loving yourself. For your relationships, share your time, energy, and self with your loved ones. Look for ways to give back and make them happy. For instance, you might cook a meal or do the dishes as a pleasant surprise. Or you might send them a card, listing their many special qualities. It does not need to be elaborate or expensive, but it should show that you care and appreciate them. As you give freely of your love, you will receive meaningful love in return.

Comments Off on 8 Ways To Live A Longer And Healthier Life
Posted by docakilah on August 29, 2011

With so many new things to do, so many people to see and dreams to chase, wouldn’t it be great to live a little longer? To have a little more time and squeeze out everything you can from life to achieve so much more. Researchers believe that the human body is made to live beyond todays life expectancy figures in any country. However it is the impurities and toxicity of daily life, hygiene and importantly diet that reduce and make the body fight harder than it should.

There are parts of the world like Japan where men and women enjoy very long and healthy lives whereas other parts of the world are plagued with certain prevalent conditions and shortened life expectancies. There are a few factors and good habits however that we can introduce into our lives, and these will have a positive impact on the length and quality of life we live.

So here are a few tips to living a longer and healthier life:

1. Sleep – I’ll put this first even though there isn’t a real order to these, but getting the right amount of sleep is so vital to our overall health. Scientists believe now that getting too much sleep can be dangerous in the long run, they advise we get around 8 hours and preferably not more than this. Some people manage to sleep 4-5 hours and feel fine but can be setting their bodies up for a fall later in life. So get out the lavender, have some warm milk and start looking after the way and amount you sleep.
2. Exercise – Another massive factor in deciding what state our body will be in further down the timeline. Scientists recommened at least 25-30 minutes of good aerobic activity at least 3 times a week to keep our bodies in good overall health. Jogging and swimming are 2 of the best aerobic excercises we can do, swimming especially utlilizes the whole body. Your body will look after you if you keep it on its toes. Regular excercise can also help prevent premature death and cardio-vascular diseases.

3. Smoking – Smoking is a complete no no if you want to get the most out of your body now and in the future. The toxic chemicals inhaled into the lungs while smoking cause diseases such as lung cancer and throat cancer to name a few. They drastically reduce the lung capacity of even young people in a short amount of time. The good news is, if you are a smoker, you can stop, it’s not easy but you’ll know it was the best thing you’ve done for yourself once you do it. The sooner you stop, the sooner your body can begin the process of returning to a state similar to before you began.

4. Alcohol – Drinking alcohol within limits can be a healthy habit also, wine is believed to be beneficial to the body when taken in moderation. However with most things in life, consumption in excess generally leads to negative effects on the human body. Excess drinking leads to liver damage or even cancer. Try to watch the units you drink and pace yourself according to your size. Excessive drinking also ages the human face faster over time through the de-hydration it causes. Enjoy it, but just keep an eye on your weekly amounts.

5. Our Weight – People come in all different shapes and sizes, people may long underweight or over weight but the truth is people are just built differently. Being over-weight is known as a contributing factor to conditions such as heart disease, colon cancer and even breast cancer. I won’t give you figures but the point here is to look after your weight. Take time to visit a dietician, have your body fat levels measured and ascertain your optimal weight. Watch what you eat and get plenty of excercise. These little changes can add years to how you feel, and fill you with renewed energies and vigour.

6. Positive Attitude – Life is unpredictable and we can’t be over-joyed all the time. However we can learn to incorporate a positive attitude into our daily lives and change the way we look at things. Turning negatives into positives and trying to find the good in people is a start. Being happy and positive on the inside creates a good balance within us which in turn leads to good overall health in body and mind. So try and banish that pessimism and look for the positives!7. Learn Learn Learn – Learning new things sparks our minds into gear, gets those neurons firing and keeps our mind fresh and youthful. Sometimes we get used to life and routine that our brains don’t need to work so hard so it loses a little power. Giving your brain food for though with puzzles, brain teasers, new subjects to learn, instruments, projects… can really preserve your mental capacity well into old age.

8. Our Diet – This is a massively vital part of a live longer regime that should be giving plenty of attention. I placed it low down so even if you only remember a few from this list, hopefully this will be one. A good diet can prevent illnesses forming in your body, even if you are suffering from an illness, a good diet can help your body battle it. A healthy diet will help to control you levels of blood pressure, cholesterol and weight. So briefly, a good diet consists of:

* Plenty of Fruits and Vegetables – Scientists believe 5 a day is a good start, but why stop there? Try and hit 7-8 a day for maximum health benefits. These help lower the risk of many diseases, make you feel and even look great.

* Reduce Your Salt – A reduction in your salt intake will help to lower and keep in check your blood pressure.
Reduce it little by little and learn to enjoy the real tastes of the foods you eat.

* Fatty foods – Foods that contain saturated fat can lead to higher levels of cholesterol which in turn can lead to
heart disease. Try to cut out saturated fats and replace them with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.

To conclude, I’d say there are many more additions out there waiting to go onto this list, try to discover what they are. Research into what people eat in the countries where life expectancy is greatest, what are their family and social circles like?

Think about what other changes you can introduce in your life, or which habits to remove and leave behind. Each person is different and genes also play a big role in the way our bodies will treat us. However we can consciously make the decision to play a bigger role in our own life expectancy. You’ll love the health benefits and feel years younger in no time at all, they won’t be able to keep you of the tennis court!

Akilah M. El, N.D. is a Naturopathic Doctor and certified Master Herbalist with a private practice in Atlanta Georgia and Berlin Germany. Join Dr Akilah El on Facebook and Twitter

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DISCLAIMER

Nothing stated here should be considered as medical advice for dealing with a health problem. You should consult your health care professional for individual guidance for specific health problems. This blog is for informational, entertainment and educational purposes only, and is simply a collection of information in the public domain. Information conveyed herein is based on pharmacological and other records - both ancient and modern. No claims whatsoever can be made as to the specific benefits accruing from the use of any herb or nutrients.